The
SUSQUEHANNA SENTINEL
April 25, 1999
Vol. I, No. 52

In This Issue

LOVE YOUR ENEMIES

"But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven... Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect" (Matt. 5:44-48).

Most folks find this passage puzzling and perplexing. How can I love someone who hates me and mistreats me? And how could I possibly think to be perfect as God is perfect? Does Jesus require the impossible?

As we begin to seek the solution to our dilemma, we certainly aren't going to claim that what Jesus commanded will always be easy. It's not easy to love those who hate us, to pray for those who abuse us, etc. But we can do what Jesus has asked of us, when His commands are properly understood.

AGAPE. There are two different Greek words commonly translated "love" in our English versions, AGAPE and PHILEO. PHILEO describes a love that involves the emotions, a close affinity, a warm, friendly relationship. A form of that word has passed into English in such words as philosophy (the love of wisdom), philharmonic (the love of harmony), etc. This is NOT the word Jesus used to command that we love our enemies. The word used in our text is AGAPE, a word that describes a determination of the mind to seek what is good for the person who is the recipient of that love. Emotionally, we may not like that person, but we have set our minds upon seeking what is good for him, even though he may be seeking to harm us. We serve a God who seeks the eternal welfare of those who have sinned against Him, and as we take upon ourselves His nature, we too will learn to seek the good of our enemies.

WHY? Why are we expected to love, that is, seek the good of those who are seeking our harm? Jesus says, "[In order] that you may be sons of your Father in heaven." The statement brings to mind the proverbial expression, "like father, like son." Sonship by character and association is a common figure of speech in the Bible. In that sense, Abraham is the father of the faithful, whether or not they are physically descended from him, Rom. 4:16. When certain Pharisees falsely accused Jesus and sought to murder Him, He said to them, "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do... He is a liar and the father of it" (John 8:44). Of course, they were not literally, physically descended from Satan. They were his "sons" by being like him. If we are to be sons of God, we must become God-like.

HOW? How can we accomplish this great goal? Jesus explained, "Bless [speak well of] those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you." We may say, "But I can't like a man who curses me; I can't like a man who abuses and persecutes me." Jesus didn't tell you to like him. Jesus said love him; seek what is good for your enemy. Do good things for him. This, you CAN, and must do. When he curses you, say something nice about him. When he behaves hatefully toward you, do something kind for him. When he abuses and persecutes you, pray for him. It may take a while to enjoy behaving this way -- but you grow into it. And in doing so, you grow to be more like God.

A side benefit of such behavior is that often in response to our kindness and prayers, enemies are transformed into friends. They may even be led to Christ by our behavior. Abraham Lincoln is said to have remarked that the best way to destroy an enemy is to gain him as a friend.

PERFECT? But, in what sense can we be perfect as God is perfect? Again, it will help to realize that the Greek word does not denote sinless perfection. Sure, God is sinless--but that is not what this verse is describing. The word "perfect" might be better understood if it had been translated "complete." God is complete in His love, excluding no one from it. We, in the process of becoming like Him, must learn not to omit anyone from our love. "And therefore you shall be perfect [complete] just as your Father in heaven is" -- complete in the matter of love.

--CRJ

GARFIELD'S EXAMPLE

President James A. Garfield was a professing member of the body of Christ. He lived his life, to my best knowledge, free of personal scandal. One historian suggested that it is doubtful that a man of greater honor and integrity ever occupied the White House.

On his first weekend in Washington following his inauguration, a member of the cabinet suggested that a cabinet meeting be called the next day, which would be Sunday. It seems there was a matter of great importance that needed to be attended.

The president refused on the ground that he had another appointment. The cabinet member then insisted that Garfield break this appointment and call the cabinet meeting.

When the president held firm in his refusal, the cabinet member remarked, "Mr. President, I would be interested in knowing with whom you have an engagement that is so important it cannot be broken."

Garfield replied: "I will be as frank as you are. My engagement is with the Lord to meet him at his house and at his table at 10:30 tomorrow morning, and I will be there."

The president kept his appointment. The crisis passed, and the nation survived. via The Old Folks at Home.

THE LOST SHEEP OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL

In Matt. 10:1-6, Matthew records how Jesus selected 12 of His disciples and sent them out as apostles, giving them power to cast out unclean spirits and heal diseases. He instructed them, "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

In connection with these verses, there are two main thoughts we want to notice in this lesson. First, these 12 men were disciples of Jesus before they were appointed as apostles. The word disciple is a broader term. All followers of Jesus are disciples, but the word apostle carries the idea of one specially appointed and sent out on an official mission. These 12 men were to be with Jesus day and night from near the beginning of His ministry until His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection. They were later sent out into all the world as special eyewitnesses who had observed His miracles, His manner of life, and His marvelous teaching. They were His disciples because they chose to follow and imitate Him as their Master. They became apostles because He chose them to "go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature..." See Mark 16:15-16.

But we're getting ahead of ourselves. Mark 16 records what has come to be called the "great commission" in which Jesus sent those 12 men to serve as His eye-witnesses to all nationalities of men and women, world-wide. Our text in Matt. 10 records an earlier, limited commission, in which they were restricted from going to the Gentiles or even to the Samaritans, but only "to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

Over the past several decades one particular radio/TV "ministry" has gained a bit of notoriety by claiming that in Old Testament times, ten of the 12 tribes of Israel completely lost their identity among the Gentiles. The head of that ministry taught that he had located these "lost" tribes in the people of Britain and America. The fact of the matter is that the people of the "lost ten tribes" were never THAT lost. They were lost spiritually because they strayed away from God and worshipped idols. But a number of them never lost their identity as Israelites. When Ezra, Nehemiah and others led the Jews out of captivity and back to the area of Jerusalem to rebuild the temple of God, some from all the tribes returned, Ezra 2:70; 6:17; Neh. 11:3; 1 Chron. 9:2-3. That is why, centuries later, Anna, a prophetess of the tribe of Asher was found in Jerusalem in the temple in Jesus' day, Luke 2:36. Also note that in preaching to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, the apostles did not leave Palestine and go preach in the British Isles. They found lost Israelites right there in the vicinity in which they had dwelled for centuries.

--CRJ